After two days of debate, the House approved, 348-71, the FY2006 emergency supplemental spending bill (H.R. 4939) on March 16. The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on March 8 (see The Source, 3/10/06).
H.R. 4939 would allocate $91.832 billion in emergency spending for FY2006, a $388.094 million decrease below the administration’s request.
Under the bill, $67.9 billion would be provided for continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and $4.2 billion would be provided for foreign assistance. With regard to Afghanistan, the House Appropriations Committee report accompanying H.R. 4939 states, “The Committee strongly urges the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to honor and meet the program allocations in House report 109-265 as well as those detailed in the Administration’s fiscal year 2006 budget request and justification materials, particularly with respect to assistance for health, education and women’s programs. Any reprogramming of funds from Development Assistance, Child Survival and Health and Economic Support Funds accounts that reduce assistance from health and education programs or support for women and girls shall be subject to the prior notification of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.”
As requested by the administration, the measure would provide $5.3 million for the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund and $10.5 million for development assistance. The report states that these levels “are to reimburse funds that were reprogrammed to accommodate urgent earthquake reconstruction activities in Pakistan.” In addition, the Food for Peace program would receive $350 million.
H.R. 4939 would include $253 million for the African Union peacekeeping mission, including $129.8 million to transition the mission in the Darfur region of Sudan to a United Nations mission. The bill also would provide $66.29 million to meet humanitarian needs in Darfur. In addition, $51.2 million would be allocated for migration and refugee assistance. The report notes that these funds “are provided to meet the urgent humanitarian needs related to refugee resettlement in Liberia, Afghanistan, and Sudan, and to fill breaks in the supply of emergency food assistance to vulnerable populations.”
The measure also would include $19.1 billion in disaster assistance for Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Of that amount, $9.55 billion would be provided for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund and $4.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for long-term recovery efforts.
During consideration of the bill, the House approved, 213-208, an amendment offered by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) that would provide an additional $50 million for a peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
The House rejected, 174-248, an amendment offered by Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) that would have provided an additional $2 billion for the CDBG, bringing the total to $6.2 billion. The amendment would have been offset by a $2 billion decrease for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund.
In addition, Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) offered an amendment that would have directed the Department of Health and Human Services, when redistributing unobligated federal matching funds from the Child Care Development Block Grant, to give priority to states currently serving a significant number of children in families affected by Hurricane Katrina. Because the amendment would change current law, it was considered legislating on an appropriations bill, which is against House rules. A point of order was raised against the amendment and the Chair sustained the point of order.
A point of order also was sustained against an amendment offered by Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR) that would have extended the enrollment period for the Medicare prescription drug program.
